MUMBAI: Vidya Balan starrer ‘The Dirty Picture’ has finally been approved for prime time TV, but with almost a 100 cuts. Under rule 33 of the Cinematograph Act, the makers of the controversial, national award-winning movie re-approached the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) with 40 additional cuts (amounting to 3 minutes and 10 seconds) apart from the 59 cuts made by the Censor Board in April. The board had given a U/A certificate with a rider that the movie could be screened only post-11 pm.

 

TV channel Sony had run many promos of the film’s telecast on prime time in April, but at the nth hour, the I&B ministry had pulled the plug after an order of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court asking the ministry to ensure that the telecast of the movie did not violate guidelines.

 

The rider has now been withdrawn and a universal certificate has been given to the film allowing it to be screened during general viewing hours. Though, an official has said that after ‘The Dirty Picture’ episode, “the Censor board has, while rating movies as U/A, even set a condition on their certificates that the movie would not be screened before 11 pm.”